Media Use Is Linked to Lower Psychological Well-Being: Evidence from Three Datasets

Adolescents spend a substantial and increasing amount of time using digital media (smartphones, computers, social media, gaming, Internet), but existing studies do not agree on whether time spent on digital media is associated with lower psychological well-being (including happiness, general well-be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Psychiatric quarterly Vol. 90; no. 2; pp. 311 - 331
Main Authors: Twenge, Jean M., Campbell, W. Keith
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: New York Springer US 01.06.2019
Springer Nature B.V
Subjects:
Adolescent
Adolescent Behavior - psychology
Adolescents
Computers
Computers - statistics & numerical data
Datasets as Topic - statistics & numerical data
Depression - epidemiology
Digital broadcasting
Digital media
Female
Happiness
Humans
Internet
Internet - statistics & numerical data
Male
Mass media
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Mental depression
Original Paper
Personal Satisfaction
Psychiatry
Psychological well being
Public Health
Risk factors
Self destructive behavior
Smartphone - statistics & numerical data
Social media
Social Media - statistics & numerical data
Sociology
Suicidal ideation
Suicide
Suicide - statistics & numerical data
Suicides & suicide attempts
United Kingdom - epidemiology
United States - epidemiology
Video Games - statistics & numerical data
Well being
United States
United Kingdom
Digital media
Happiness
Suicide
Psychological well-being
Electronic gaming
Social media
ISSN:0033-2720, 1573-6709, 1573-6709
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Adolescents spend a substantial and increasing amount of time using digital media (smartphones, computers, social media, gaming, Internet), but existing studies do not agree on whether time spent on digital media is associated with lower psychological well-being (including happiness, general well-being, and indicators of low well-being such as depression, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempts). Across three large surveys of adolescents in two countries ( n  = 221,096), light users (<1 h a day) of digital media reported substantially higher psychological well-being than heavy users (5+ hours a day). Datasets initially presented as supporting opposite conclusions produced similar effect sizes when analyzed using the same strategy. Heavy users (vs. light) of digital media were 48% to 171% more likely to be unhappy, to be in low in well-being, or to have suicide risk factors such as depression, suicidal ideation, or past suicide attempts. Heavy users (vs. light) were twice as likely to report having attempted suicide. Light users (rather than non- or moderate users) were highest in well-being, and for most digital media use the largest drop in well-being occurred between moderate use and heavy use. The limitations of using percent variance explained as a gauge of practical impact are discussed.
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ISSN:0033-2720
1573-6709
1573-6709
DOI:10.1007/s11126-019-09630-7